SALARYSPORT
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NHL · 1,084 CAREERS

NHL career earnings

$26,432,687,994 of NHL contracts, 1997 to 2030, led by Alex Ovechkin on $170,720,893.

Every career the league has paid, ranked by what the contracts are worth. The figure is contract money and nothing else: basic salary, signing bonus, incentives and a trade bonus where a deal carried one. It is not a net worth and it does not include a single endorsement.

CONTRACT VALUE $26.43bn
PAID THROUGH 2026-27 $25.71bn
CAREERS 1,084
SEASONS 20
TOP TEN HOLD 5.4%

The fifteen richest ice hockey careers

Contract money earned, 1997 to 2030

Top ten hold 5.4%

Alex Ovechkin $171m Sidney Crosby $156m Nathan MacKinnon $154m Evgeni Malkin $152m Drew Doughty $144m Erik Karlsson $139m Shea Weber $133m Carey Price $131m Anze Kopitar $129m Jonathan Huberdeau $129m Ryan Suter $126m Aleksander Barkov $118m Steven Stamkos $117m Tyler Seguin $116m Patrick Kane $116m

Ten careers out of 1,084 hold 5.4% of the money. A league with a salary cap spreads the total more evenly than a prize-money sport does, and it still comes out this steep: the maximum contract is a ceiling on one man's season, not on how many of them he gets to sign.

The hundred richest NHL careers

Ranked by total contract money

1,084 careers in all

# Player Franchise Position Seasons Span Career earnings
01 Alex Ovechkin Washington Capitals Left Wing 21 2005 to 2025 $170,720,893$170.7m
02 Sidney Crosby Pittsburgh Penguins Center 20 2005 to 2024 $155,890,244$155.9m
03 Nathan MacKinnon Colorado Avalanche Center 18 2013 to 2030 $153,587,500$153.6m
04 Evgeni Malkin Pittsburgh Penguins Center 20 2006 to 2025 $151,670,893$151.7m
05 Drew Doughty Los Angeles Kings Defenseman 19 2008 to 2026 $143,929,878$143.9m
06 Erik Karlsson San Jose Sharks Defenseman 18 2009 to 2026 $138,929,878$138.9m
07 Shea Weber Montreal Canadiens Defenseman 21 2005 to 2025 $132,831,000$132.8m
08 Carey Price Montreal Canadiens Goaltender 19 2007 to 2025 $131,050,000$131.0m
09 Anze Kopitar Los Angeles Kings Center 19 2005 to 2023 $129,250,000$129.2m
10 Jonathan Huberdeau Calgary Flames Left Wing 20 2011 to 2030 $129,021,463$129.0m
11 Ryan Suter Dallas Stars Defenseman 24 2005 to 2028 $126,092,664$126.1m
12 Aleksander Barkov Florida Panthers Center 17 2013 to 2029 $118,387,500$118.4m
13 Steven Stamkos Tampa Bay Lightning Center 16 2008 to 2023 $116,675,000$116.7m
14 Tyler Seguin Dallas Stars Center 17 2010 to 2026 $116,000,000$116.0m
15 Patrick Kane Chicago Blackhawks Right Wing 16 2007 to 2022 $115,637,195$115.6m
16 Nicklas Backstrom Washington Capitals Center 18 2007 to 2024 $115,550,000$115.5m
17 Zach Parise New York Islanders Left Wing 24 2005 to 2028 $115,243,396$115.2m
18 Sergei Bobrovsky Florida Panthers Goaltender 16 2010 to 2025 $113,366,829$113.4m
19 Johnny Gaudreau Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing 16 2013 to 2028 $112,375,000$112.4m
20 Joe Thornton Florida Panthers Center 24 1997 to 2021 $111,541,561$111.5m
21 Seth Jones Chicago Blackhawks Defenseman 17 2013 to 2029 $111,387,499$111.4m
22 John Tavares Toronto Maple Leafs Center 16 2009 to 2024 $111,041,463$111.0m
23 Alex Pietrangelo Vegas Golden Knights Defenseman 17 2010 to 2026 $109,550,000$109.6m
24 Jonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks Center 15 2007 to 2022 $109,062,195$109.1m
25 Jeff Skinner Buffalo Sabres Left Wing 17 2010 to 2026 $109,050,000$109.1m
26 Brad Richards Detroit Red Wings Center 24 2000 to 2025 $107,412,116$107.4m
27 Filip Forsberg Nashville Predators Center 18 2012 to 2029 $106,893,910$106.9m
28 Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers Center 11 2015 to 2025 $105,625,000$105.6m
29 Kris Letang Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman 20 2007 to 2027 $105,518,780$105.5m
30 Henrik Lundqvist Washington Capitals Goaltender 17 2005 to 2021 $104,908,390$104.9m
31 Brent Burns Carolina Hurricanes Defenseman 18 2006 to 2024 $103,650,000$103.7m
32 Marian Gaborik Tampa Bay Lightning Right Wing 20 2000 to 2020 $103,025,013$103.0m
33 Roman Josi Nashville Predators Defenseman 18 2010 to 2027 $102,821,695$102.8m
34 Mika Zibanejad New York Rangers Center 18 2011 to 2029 $102,723,963$102.7m
35 Jamie Benn Dallas Stars Left Wing 17 2008 to 2024 $102,194,512$102.2m
36 Oliver Ekman-Larsson Vancouver Canucks Defenseman 17 2010 to 2026 $101,416,829$101.4m
37 Logan Couture San Jose Sharks Center 20 2007 to 2026 $101,234,756$101.2m
38 Dougie Hamilton New Jersey Devils Defenseman 17 2011 to 2027 $101,125,000$101.1m
39 Brayden Point Tampa Bay Lightning Center 14 2016 to 2029 $98,235,000$98.2m
40 Claude Giroux Ottawa Senators Center 18 2007 to 2024 $98,048,780$98.0m
41 Gabriel Landeskog Colorado Avalanche Left Wing 18 2011 to 2028 $97,483,963$97.5m
42 Brent Seabrook Tampa Bay Lightning Defenseman 19 2005 to 2023 $97,327,200$97.3m
43 Patrick Marleau San Jose Sharks Left Wing 22 1997 to 2020 $97,017,172$97.0m
44 Tomas Hertl San Jose Sharks Center 16 2014 to 2029 $95,662,500$95.7m
45 Ryan Getzlaf Anaheim Ducks Center 17 2005 to 2021 $95,471,766$95.5m
46 Patrice Bergeron Boston Bruins Center 19 2003 to 2022 $95,284,153$95.3m
47 Mark Stone Vegas Golden Knights Right Wing 14 2013 to 2026 $95,200,000$95.2m
48 Artemi Panarin New York Rangers Left Wing 11 2015 to 2025 $95,032,500$95.0m
49 Matt Duchene Nashville Predators Center 17 2009 to 2025 $94,352,439$94.4m
50 Sean Couturier Philadelphia Flyers Center 19 2011 to 2029 $93,983,963$94.0m
51 Charles Mcavoy Boston Bruins Defenseman 14 2016 to 2029 $93,450,000$93.4m
52 Marian Hossa Arizona Coyotes Right Wing 22 1998 to 2020 $93,024,390$93.0m
53 Morgan Rielly Toronto Maple Leafs Defenseman 17 2013 to 2029 $92,895,000$92.9m
54 Corey Perry Tampa Bay Lightning Right Wing 18 2005 to 2022 $92,820,883$92.8m
55 Darnell Nurse Edmonton Oilers Defenseman 13 2015 to 2029 $92,525,000$92.5m
56 Nikita Kucherov Tampa Bay Lightning Right Wing 14 2013 to 2026 $92,517,500$92.5m
57 Philip Kessel Arizona Coyotes Right Wing 16 2006 to 2021 $91,502,866$91.5m
58 Marc-Edouard Vlasic San Jose Sharks Defenseman 20 2006 to 2025 $90,320,854$90.3m
59 Zdeno Chara New York Islanders Defenseman 19 2000 to 2021 $89,927,500$89.9m
60 Jason Spezza Toronto Maple Leafs Center 19 2002 to 2021 $89,519,259$89.5m
61 John Carlson Washington Capitals Defenseman 17 2008 to 2025 $88,946,951$88.9m
62 Andrei Vasilevski Tampa Bay Lightning Goaltender 14 2014 to 2027 $88,845,323$88.8m
63 Nazem Kadri Calgary Flames Center 19 2010 to 2028 $88,124,530$88.1m
64 Hampus Lindholm Boston Bruins Defenseman 18 2012 to 2029 $87,005,000$87.0m
65 Eric Staal Montreal Canadiens Center 17 2003 to 2020 $86,908,010$86.9m
66 Jakub Voracek Columbus Blue Jackets Right Wing 17 2007 to 2023 $86,112,805$86.1m
67 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Edmonton Oilers Center 18 2011 to 2028 $85,775,000$85.8m
68 Victor Hedman Tampa Bay Lightning Defenseman 16 2009 to 2024 $85,700,000$85.7m
69 Paul Stastny Carolina Hurricanes Center 17 2006 to 2022 $84,943,415$84.9m
70 Jared Spurgeon Minnesota Wild Defenseman 17 2010 to 2026 $83,355,000$83.4m
71 Jack Eichel Vegas Golden Knights Center 11 2015 to 2025 $82,987,500$83.0m
72 Henrik Zetterberg Detroit Red Wings Left Wing 18 2002 to 2020 $82,936,585$82.9m
73 Blake Wheeler Winnipeg Jets Right Wing 16 2008 to 2023 $82,801,220$82.8m
74 Cam Fowler Anaheim Ducks Defenseman 16 2010 to 2025 $82,042,153$82.0m
75 Marc-Andre Fleury Minnesota Wild Goaltender 18 2003 to 2021 $81,491,432$81.5m
76 Colton Parayko St Louis Blues Defenseman 15 2015 to 2029 $81,310,000$81.3m
77 Brayden Schenn St Louis Blues Center 18 2010 to 2027 $79,916,829$79.9m
78 Jeff Carter Pittsburgh Penguins Center 19 2005 to 2023 $79,485,737$79.5m
79 Ryan Kesler Anaheim Ducks Center 17 2005 to 2021 $77,944,000$77.9m
80 Duncan Keith Edmonton Oilers Defenseman 17 2006 to 2022 $77,900,000$77.9m
81 Ryan McDonagh Nashville Predators Defenseman 16 2010 to 2025 $77,799,695$77.8m
82 Ryan O'Reilly St Louis Blues Center 14 2009 to 2022 $77,140,000$77.1m
83 Justin Faulk St Louis Blues Defenseman 16 2011 to 2026 $77,020,000$77.0m
84 Taylor Hall Boston Bruins Left Wing 15 2010 to 2024 $76,700,000$76.7m
85 Jordan Staal Carolina Hurricanes Center 17 2006 to 2022 $76,684,146$76.7m
86 Evander Kane Edmonton Oilers Left Wing 17 2009 to 2025 $76,593,193$76.6m
87 Joe Pavelski Dallas Stars Center 17 2006 to 2022 $75,676,463$75.7m
88 Ryan Johansen Nashville Predators Center 13 2010 to 2024 $75,448,387$75.4m
89 Zachary Werenski Columbus Blue Jackets Defenseman 12 2016 to 2027 $75,275,000$75.3m
90 Torey Krug St Louis Blues Defenseman 16 2011 to 2026 $73,967,115$74.0m
91 P.K. Subban New Jersey Devils Defenseman 11 2009 to 2021 $73,837,500$73.8m
92 Robert Thomas St Louis Blues Center 13 2018 to 2030 $73,097,500$73.1m
93 Brad Marchand Boston Bruins Left Wing 18 2007 to 2024 $72,446,464$72.4m
94 Milan Lucic Calgary Flames Left Wing 16 2007 to 2022 $71,842,805$71.8m
95 Tyler Myers Vancouver Canucks Defenseman 15 2009 to 2023 $71,625,000$71.6m
96 David Krejci Boston Bruins Center 16 2006 to 2022 $71,623,171$71.6m
97 Chris Kreider New York Rangers Left Wing 16 2011 to 2026 $71,101,220$71.1m
98 T.J. Oshie Washington Capitals Right Wing 17 2008 to 2024 $70,843,902$70.8m
99 Jacob Trouba New York Rangers Defenseman 13 2013 to 2025 $70,607,500$70.6m
100 Miro Heiskanen Dallas Stars Defenseman 11 2018 to 2028 $70,282,500$70.3m

The hundred above are the top of a list 1,084 long. The full ranking carries every career we hold, down to the men who were paid for one season and never signed another.

What the NHL paid out each season

Every contract on this list, added up by year

20 seasons

2021-22 is the biggest season on the chart at $2,512,663,202 across 931 men. Each column is a link to that season's payroll, ranked.

Career money by franchise

What the men on each roster have earned across their whole careers

32 franchises

Tampa Bay Lightning $1.14bn Montreal Canadiens $1.10bn Anaheim Ducks $1.10bn New York Islanders $1.09bn Washington Capitals $1.05bn St Louis Blues $1.05bn Boston Bruins $1.03bn Colorado Avalanche $954m Edmonton Oilers $927m Carolina Hurricanes $909m Calgary Flames $886m Dallas Stars $885m

This is career money carried by a current roster rather than a historical payroll: a man who earned nine figures elsewhere brings all of it with him when he signs. Every franchise has a page of its own.

Career money by position

What each job on the roster has been paid

5 positions

# Position Careers Average career Top earner Total earned
01 Center 314 $26,648,628 Sidney Crosby $8,367,669,070$8.37bn
02 Defenseman 341 $24,167,002 Drew Doughty $8,240,947,514$8.24bn
03 Left Wing 173 $23,592,330 Alex Ovechkin $4,081,473,113$4.08bn
04 Right Wing 129 $25,412,217 Patrick Kane $3,278,176,040$3.28bn
05 Goaltender 127 $19,404,900 Carey Price $2,464,422,257$2.46bn

The average column is the total divided by the number of careers in it, so a position with a long tail of one-season men reads lower than the men at the top of it do.

How an NHL contract pays

The four things a deal is made of

$26,440,211,802 itemised

  • Basic salary 85.6%
  • Signing bonus 14.1%
  • Incentives 0.2%
  • Trade bonus 0.0%

Basic salary is 85.6% of every dollar in the NHL file. The signing bonus is 14.1%, incentives 0.2% and a trade bonus 0.0%. The signing-bonus list ranks the careers where that second column did the heavy lifting.

Frequently asked questions

Who has earned the most money in the NHL?

Alex Ovechkin, $170,720,893 across 21 seasons between 2005 and 2025. He is on the books at the Washington Capitals.

How much have NHL contracts paid in total?

$26,432,687,994 across the 1,084 careers we hold, $25,706,361,806 of it paid through the 2026-27 season and $726,326,188 written into deals that run past it.

How concentrated is NHL money?

The ten richest careers hold 5.4% of everything on this list, out of 1,084 careers.

What counts as career earnings here?

Everything a contract pays: basic salary, signing bonus, incentives and a trade bonus where one was written in. Basic salary is 85.6% of the NHL total and the signing bonus 14.1%. Endorsements are not in it.

How many NHL players are still being paid?

96 of the 1,084 careers on this list have a figure against the 2026-27 season. 55 are owed money on a deal that runs past it.

Which franchise has paid out the most?

The Tampa Bay Lightning, $1,137,819,273 across 33 careers. That is the money earned by men on its books now, not a historical payroll.

Where to next

The seasons, the franchises and the rest of the league

Every season

Every franchise

Every position

The money lists